Karthik Kamath ’16

Biology Major
Chemistry and Sociology Minor

"The small class sizes primarily made me choose SJC over several other colleges and universities. The campus had a really nice feel to it. The very manageable commuting distance from my house was definitely a plus as well.

"My experience in the past four years has been wonderful. Some of the people I met on my first day of classes in 2012 are some of my best friends today. Us biology majors shared many classes together so we became a tightly knit group. The honors program trip to Ireland was a big highlight and one of the best experiences of my life. And many of the professors I had really pushed me to my full potential.

"I learned to not be afraid to set high goals and standards because I do have the drive and discipline to achieve them."

"I hoped to make new connections and bonds and better myself as a person. I believe I accomplished this in my time at SJC. I learned to not be afraid to set high goals and standards because I do have the drive and discipline to achieve them. I used to be a lot more quiet and shy. I feel I got to break out my shell at SJC and be more open and comfortable.

"Besides the original dreams of becoming a superhero, power ranger or a professional NBA player, the dream job was always becoming a doctor or scientist. My volunteer experiences at Stony Brook Hospital in my high school years inspired me to want to do something in the medical field.

"My plans after graduation are likely graduate school to a M.D. or Ph.D. program. I would like to attend medical school to become a physician, which was the original plan. However, through my biology/chemistry courses at St. Joseph's and my research experience doing thesis, going into medical research has also intrigued my interest."

Favorite quote?

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
— Bruce Lee

Who has been the biggest influence on your life?

"My parents have been the biggest influence on my life. They instilled in me the importance of hard work, perseverance and humility early on in life."

Have you been a part of any service activities that were meaningful to you?

"Being a member of the Relay For Life Committee to help plan SJC Relay For Life for the last two years has been really meaningful to me. Additionally, being able to go to the Hope Lodge through Relay For Life to cook dinner for the people who stay there as they receive treatment was something I looked forward to each year."

What do you like to do in your spare time?

"I am a first degree blackbelt in karate, which I did for fourteen years. In my spare time, I love to play basketball and listen to music."

Aside from content material, what is the best lesson a professor taught you in class?

"One lesson that always comes to mind was from Dr. Royston in my genetics course about the fear of being wrong. It was one time where she asked a question and no one in the class wanted to answer. Many of us seemed to be intimidated of her at the time. I believe she said something on the lines of getting the answer wrong does not mean you're stupid, it just means you're wrong and without getting over the fear of being wrong, you can never be right. It really taught me to stop being intimidated over possibility of being wrong and be more confident."

Who is your favorite SJC professor?

"It is hard to pick from the many biology and chemistry professors I had but if I had to choose one then Dr. Antonawich has to be my favorite professor. The first class I had at SJC was with Dr. Antonawich. He also became my research advisor when I wrote my thesis. I always looked forward to attending his lectures. He made the material very enjoyable to learn and he had so much passion when he was teaching. His exams were challenging, but they were fair and they really pushed me to master the material. And his stories were just plain hilarious. "

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Esse non videri — “To be, not to seem.”

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